Super HDR: Vivo’s new HDR mode claims AI smarts, better results

Between the Vivo X20 Plus UD (with its in-display fingerprint scanner) and the Apex concept phone, Chinese brand Vivo has been making waves in the West lately. Now, its latest innovation is a so-called Super HDR mode.

Vivo revealed the new photography mode this week, saying it follows the same principles as traditional HDR, but makes for a better fit in more extreme scenarios. This is because the mode sees 12 images snapped at once for Super HDR, at a range of 14 EV (exposure value).

By comparison, Google’s latest iteration of HDR+ (seen on the Pixel 2) takes “up to 10 identical underexposed shots”, Wired reported. So in theory, you should be getting way more detail in bright and dark bits of the scene than with traditional HDR.

“With a wider dynamic range of 14EV, Super HDR can ensure perfect shots in a broader range of lighting scenarios, even in adverse ones. This results in image (sic) that shows the details of the rock, grass, mountains and clouds despite the back lit, high contrast scenario,” the firm explains, pointing users to the below image.

The company also made some AI-related claims about the mode, saying it used “complex AI algorithms to adapt to different scenarios”. So, scene detection then? The company explains…

“The moment the shutter is pressed, the AI will detect the scene to determine the ideal exposure strategy and accordingly select the frames for merging.”

The firm continues with the AI scene detection train by saying “each part of the photo can be identified and isolated for processing”.

Read more: Your entire phone screen will soon become a fingerprint scanner

Vivo adds that Super HDR also makes for better shots of people, asserting that “regular HDR might sacrifice lighting for the person in focus for a better lit photo”.

It’s unclear whether Super HDR will be coming to existing phones, or if it’ll only land on new handsets.